MAGGIE AND HER

LWT / 13×30 minute episodes / 1978-79
Writer: Leonard Webb / Producers: David Askey, Simon Brett
Sitcom. Divorced schoolteacher Maggie has to cope with her elderly but very nosy neighbour Mrs Perry, who is determined to set her up with a new ‘fella’. There was a pilot broadcast on the 13 Aug 1976 under the title Poppy and Her.
Maggie……………………………………….. JULIA McKENZIE
Mrs Perry…………………………………….. IRENE HANDL

MAN ABOUT THE HOUSE

Sitcom Man About the House told comedic tales of flat sharing in the 1970’s when it was considered very permissive for a guy (O’Sullivan) to share with two girls (the gorgeous Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett), downstairs was crotchety landlord George Roper and his sex starved wife Mildred and living in the attic flat at the top of the house was larrikin Larry (who didn’t become a regular until the second season but was always good value with his talk of birds, booze and football.

The heart of the show was been Robin doing his best to persuade either of the girls to sleep with him, this being prime time ITV he always failed of course, his favourite was clearly Chrissy and its a situation that as the series entered it’s final season there was some real depth and a genuine sense of melancholy as Chrissy actually falls in love with Robin’s brother Norman (Norman Eshley, who had been in the series before as a different character romancing Chrissy) and in the final episode marries him, a great way to wrap up the series, showing the characters growing up, at last, and moving on. And also paving the way for spin-offs Robin’s Nest and George and Mildred.

The series never ventured far outside the confines of the studio but always attracted quality guest stars including the likes of Peter Jones in A Little Knowledge which sees Robin working as an encyclopedia salesmen to try and earn some cash. Other guest stars included the gorgeous Jenny Hanley and Ian Lavender in While The Cat’s Away, Dennis Waterman as a German doctor in Did You Ever Meet Rommel?, Brush Strokes’ Karl Howman in the babysitting episode Two Foot Two, Eyes of Blue (Jo Kendall who had just been killed off in Emmerdale Farm also appears in this episode) and the already mentioned Norman Eshley (who of course would also go on to play Geoffrey Fourmile in George and Mildred) who in season two was a married man hoping to have an affair with Chrissy. The great Leslie Sands pops up too as Robin’s father.

The show was always very funny, especially when George and Mildred were involved, a withering look from Mildred could set anyman a trembling in terror and with a cast that appeared to get on really well and a series of fun plotlines Man About the House is one of the better ITV sitcoms of the 1970’s.

The series gained a pretty good big screen outing in 1974 (made by horror specialists Hammer films of all companies) and also two spin-offs in the shape of George and Mildred and Robin’s Nest. The series was also the inspiration for popular US sitcom Three’s Company.

MAX AND PADDY’S ROAD TO NOWHERE

Max and Paddy are ex-nightclub bouncers on a road trip to nowhere-in-particular in their mobile home. Max and Paddy were characters from Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights. Brian Potter from Phoenix Nights (also played by Kay) made a few cameo appearances.

MEN BEHAVING BADLY

ITV(Thames)/Hartswood/ BBC1 / 41×30 minute episodes 1×45 minute episodes / 1992-98 Seven seasons.
Writer: Simon Nye / Music: Alan Lisk / Producer: Beryl Vertue
Sitcom. Two unreconstructed men share a flat in South London. Gary is in a relationship (of sorts) with nurse Dorothy whilst first Dermot (Season 1) and then Tony lust after Deborah who lives in the flat upstairs. The show has had a chequered history, seasons one and two were on ITV in an 8.30pm slot, after ITV failed to take up the show for a third season, it switched sides to BBC1 and a post watershed slot where it went from strength to strength.
Gary……………………………………………. MARTIN CLUNES
Dermot (Season 1)………………………….. HARRY ENFIELD
Tony……………………………………………. NEIL MORRISSEY
Deborah……………………………………….. LESLIE ASH
Dorothy………………………………………… CAROLINE QUENTIN
Les……………………………………………… DAVE ATKINS
George…………………………………………. IAN LINDSAY
Anthea…………………………………………. VALERIE MINIFIE

THE MIGHTY BOOSH

Sitcom. Incredibly bizarre tales of Howard and Vince and the “Mighty Boosh” world they live in, across three series of non-sequiters, musical interludes and weird skits the duo (who also played many of the other roles on the show) were zoo-keepers (series 1), flat mates (series 2) and owner of the Nabootique shop (series 3). There is no real format though and very little attempt at continuity. Stars Barratt and Fielding are genuine talent though and the people who like the show like it a lot.